Furniture brace



T. H. WlTTLlFF FURNITURE BRACE May 27, 1930.

Filed March 1e, 1923 INVENToR. Wem/0r6# Uzff( By ATTORNEY Patented May 27, 1930 THEODORE H. WITTLIFF, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO FURNITURE BRACE Application.4 led March 16, 1923. Serial No. 625,425.

The present invention relates to a furniture brace. More particularly it comprises means to be applied to abedstead to remove lost motion therefrom and establish said bedstead as a thoroughly rigid Structure capable of being shifted bodily With the same effect as an integral unit. Certain features of the invention may be applied to other articles of furniture than bed'steads, as will be apparent from the detailed description hereinafter set forth.

The principal object of the invention is to provide improved means of a simple character which are capable of being easily manufactured and applied to various articles of furniture, for example bedsteads, chairs, tables, and the like, to insure their rigidity. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and' the following description set forth in detail certain mecha-nism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but sevcral of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing: f

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a bedstead to which the invention is applied; Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of a corner of the bedstead and the means utilized for Vtaking up lost motion in the usual interlocking oint; Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken longi- F tudinally of the view shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken along the line 4-4 shown in Figs. 2 and 3, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the construction sliown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4; Fig. 6 is an elevation showing the innerV face of one of the terminal plates of the tensioning device; and Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view y showing a modifiedl form of terminal for the tensioning device.

As is shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the means for holding the several structural elements of the bedstead in rigid relation to each other comprises a tensioning device 1, with which are engaged two pairs of flexible eley ments 2, 3.

The tensioning central adjusting screw 4, having reversely device is provided with a threaded ends over which, respectively, terminal plates 5 are screw-threadedly engaged.

rl`he inner faces of the plates, as is clearly sho-wn in Fig. 6,

are provided with lupper and lower transverse grooves 6, 7.

One pair of said iiexible elements 2 is provided ateach of the ends of its respective members with screw-eyes 8, or other suitable Vfastening elements, whereby they may be attached to the end posts 9 of a bedstead. The bedstead may be if either wood or metal construction and has the usual head and foot members 12, 13, connecting the head posts and foot posts, respectively, and the side rails 14 connecting the respective foot posts with the corresponding head posts.

The flexible members 2 are preferably positioned inwardly of the respective side rails 8, each having its terminals secured toV one head post and its companion foot post of the bedstead. spective members The central portions ,of the re- 2 are engaged within the lower grooves 7 of the respective terminal plates of the tensioning device. The niembers 2 are thus diagonally disposed with re-V spect to the frame firm contactof the of the bedstead in of the bedstead and insure several structural elements both a transverse and-lonelements is prefer ably in the form of a loop which is engaged at its outer end through the said screw eye 16'fastened to the central portion of the adj acentside rail of the bedstead.

The inner end of the upper groove plate 5. The te adapted terminal plates an the loop is engaged within 6 of its adjacent terminal nsioning` member thus is to control the distance between said d in that manner will regu'- soA late the tension applied to the respective pairs of flexible elements.

The bedstead illustrated in Fig. l, as has been indicated above, is shown as provided with cross slats l5 which serve to prevent the side rails from bending inwardly to an undue extent when the tensioning devicev 1 is tightened. It should also be noted that by placing' the looped flexible elements in the upper grooves 6 of the plates, said loops may lie in the plane of the slats and that the othery flexible elements will lie immediately below the same. y

In Fig. 7 of the drawing isshown a modilied form of terminal plate for the tensioning device.. In said construction, the plate 17 is provided with rearwardly extending ears 18, centrally apertured to receive a pivot pin ISL-whereby it is rockably mounted upon a support 20, having an apertured forward end adapted to be fitted between said ears and engaged upon said pin. The support is provided at its other end with a screw-threaded axial socket l0, wherein is received the screwthreaded end of the adjusting screw 4. In this form of device the plate, which is provided with upper andv lower transverse grooves similar to plate 5, is in a measure selfadjusting and when the adjusting screw is turned to tensioning position the flexible elements are permitted to move to a point at which an equal degree of tension'will be exerted upon each section thereof. f

The bedstead illustrated in thedrawing, particularly in Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, is a metal bedstead wherein the side rails are connected with the head and foot framesv by means of an interlocking joint of the usual downwardly tapered type. It has been found that, in'most instances, joints of this char- I acter are not accurately tted, and that with the moving about of a bedstead in the usual daily routine of housekeeping, thereA is caused a gradual wearing away of the contacting surfaces of the interlocking elements until the connection is one involving a great deal of lost motion. In order to overcome this defect in the construction and to relieve the strain which would be imposed upon the several parts above described, it has been found desirable toinsert in the slotted downwardly tapered section of the interlocking joint, a shim or lining of thin sheet metal of suitable composition, such as shim steel or shim brass. The shape of this lining element is clearly shown in theperspective view in Fig. 5 of the-drawing and comprises a section of sheet of metal having a' cylindrically shaped central portion 2l of smaller diameter atits lower end and flanked by a pair ofwing members 22, the outer ends 23 'of which are turned rearwardly to closely engage the outer faces of the socket sections 3l of the interlocking joint. Adjacent the upper and lower edges of the cylindrical portion of the lining memcurate fit between the several elements of said joint. This construction also will permit the separation of the side rails from the sockets without disturbing the lining in said sockets, owing to the locking action of the overturned segmental flanges.

Thus, by a/pplying the lining elements ust described to the interlocking joints of a metal bedstead, which has been in use for some time and has ldeveloped a considerable amount of lost motion between the several sections thereof, it is possible to provide interlocking joints with practically no lost motion.

After a bedstead has been equipped with the lining shims, the addition of the longitudinal and transverse flexible elements and the tensioning device will provide a bedstead structure adapted to be adjusted so as to have a lhigh degree of rigidity, and one wherein there is practically no relative motion be tween the several parts. v

Other modes ofapplying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent ofsuch stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention: l, Ina bracing system for furniture, the combination with an article of furniture having four spaced supports andy connecting members therebetween, of a pair of flexible elements, eachv extending longitudinally between two adjacent supports, a pair of flexible elements each 'extending transversely of said article'from one of said connecting members, and an adjustable tensioning means slidably engaging each of said {iexible elements and maintaining the same in tension. 2. The combination with a bed having four spacedV supports and longitudinally extending side rails and end members connecting said supports, respectively, of a pair of flexible elements connecting said supports longitudinally, flexible means connected with each 'of said side rails, and means for applying said supports, respectively, of a pair of ilexible elements connecting said supports longitudinally, flexible means connected with each ot' said side rails, and unitary means for applying tension directly to each of said flexible elements and means.

e. rllhe combination with a bed having four spaced supports, and longitudinally extending side rails and end members connecting said supports, respectively, of an adjusting screw adapted to be positioned at a central point between said supports, a plate engaged upon each end of said adjusting screw, upper and lower grooves in said plates, a pair of flexible elements connected respectively with the supports at each side of the bed and having their respective central portions engaged within the lower grooves of the adjacent plates, and a pair of looped flexible elements engaged within the respective upper grooves of said plates and having their outer ends secured to said side rails.

5. An article ot the character described, having in combination a plurality of flexible elements connected with the frame of an article of furniture, a central adjusting screw having oppositely threaded ends, and terminal plates screw-threadedly engaged upon and perpendicular to said ends, each of said plates having a pair of parallel transversely extending grooves formed upon its inner face upon opposite sides of said adjusting screw, for receiving said respective flexible elements freely engaged thereover, which serve to anchor against rotation said terminal plates while said adjusting screw is being manipulated.

6. An article of the character described, having in combination a plurality of flexible elements connected with the frame ot an article of furniture, a central adjusting screw having oppositely threaded ends, and terminal plates screw-threadedly engaged upon and perpendicular to said ends, each of said plates having means on its inner tace adjacent each of its upper and lower marginal edges and on opposite sides of said adjusting screw for receiving said respective flexible elements, freely engaged thereover, which serve to anchor against rotation said terminal plates while said adjusting screw is being manipulated.

Signed by me, this 13th day of March, 1923. 

